Under 18s in the adult school

We hope your time studying English in the UK will be both enjoyable and memorable, and we want you to make the most of your experience at the Lewis School.

If you need our help in an emergency, call the school on +44 23 8022 820

If the school is closed, listen for the emergency number on the voicemail message.

However if you are having any problems with your lessons, your accommodation, or are facing any personal difficulties, please come and speak to us – we are here for you. All our staff are trained in welfare issues, ensuring a high level of care, and many also have first aid qualifications. Please feel free to ask any of us about your stay or about learning English. We’re always happy to help!

At our Adult School, we welcome students aged 16 and above and we have special welfare procedures for anyone under 18. These include weekly check-ins with our Welfare Manager to check that everything is ok. There are also rules about returning home if you are in homestay accommodation.

Please note that the Adult School is not a junior centre, so supervision is more limited and students must follow the extra procedures carefully.

Here is a summary of our Policy for Under-18s in the Adult School. You can read the full policy here.

You must attend all lessons and weekly welfare check-ins
You must follow school rules and any extra rules for under-18s
You must tell us your travel arrangements to Southampton from the airport, station or port
Some activities or venues are only for students aged 18 or over
You must not buy or drink alcohol as part of school activities or arrangements
If you stay in homestay, your curfew is 10.30pm Sunday to Thursday and 11.00pm Friday and Saturday, unless agreed otherwise in advance
If you are going to be late, you must contact your host straight away
If there is a problem with your attendance, welfare, behaviour or safety, we may contact your parent or guardian
The Adult School does not provide normal supervision outside lessons, weekly welfare check-ins and other arranged school activities

For full details, see our ‘Policy for Under-18s Joining Adult Courses ’.

Support for students aged 16 and 17

We welcome students aged 16 and 17 to our Adult School. They study in an adult environment and are given more independence than students on our junior programmes, but we put additional welfare and safeguarding arrangements in place to help them feel safe, supported and settled.
We want students to enjoy their course, make friends and make the most of their time in Southampton. Students can speak to us about their studies, accommodation, health or any other questions or concerns.

This page explains the support we provide and the additional rules that apply to students under 18.

Welfare: key points

Weekly welfare check-ins – Students under 18 meet our Welfare Manager each week to check that everything is going well and to discuss any questions or concerns.

Attendance monitoring – Students under 18 must attend all lessons and weekly welfare check-ins. If they are absent or late without explanation, we follow up promptly. The usual Adult School attendance and lateness rules also apply.

Named welfare contacts – Students can speak to our Welfare Manager, Designated Safeguarding Lead or any member of staff if they need help.

Homestay support and curfews – Students staying in homestay must follow the agreed curfew and keep their host informed of their plans.

Age-appropriate activities – Students can join many school social activities, although some activities or venues are only available to students aged 18 or over.

24-hour emergency support – Students receive the school’s 24-hour emergency number before arrival and are reminded of it during their stay.

Welfare and safeguarding support

Our Welfare Manager is available to help with practical or personal concerns. Students under 18 attend a weekly welfare check-in, and we may arrange additional meetings where needed.

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead manages concerns about a student’s safety or possible harm. Students are introduced to the relevant members of staff during induction and are encouraged to ask for help early.

Our key contacts are:

Welfare Manager: Suzie Brierley, at Reception
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Larissa Ribeiro, Academic Manager
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead: Alistair Walker, Director

See Meet the Team >

Staff receive welfare and safeguarding training appropriate to their role, and first aiders are available at the school. We must have suitable parent, guardian and emergency contact details for every student under 18. Where necessary, we may contact them about attendance, welfare, behaviour, safeguarding or an emergency.

Attendance and weekly check-ins

Students under 18 must attend:

All lessons
Weekly welfare check-ins
Any additional welfare or support meetings arranged by the school

If a student is absent or late without explanation, we follow this up promptly. Repeated or serious concerns may lead to action under our attendance, welfare, discipline or safeguarding procedures.

An adult learning environment

The Adult School is not a junior centre. Students aged 16 and 17 study alongside adult students and are expected to manage their time more independently. The school does not provide normal supervision during breaks, after lessons or at weekends. Supervision is provided during lessons, welfare meetings and organised school activities. Students should make safe and sensible decisions, follow the additional rules for under-18s and ask us for help whenever they are unsure.

Before arrival

A parent or guardian must complete and return our parental consent form before the student travels. This includes emergency contact details and consent relating to the course, travel arrangements and emergency medical treatment.

We must also know how the student will travel to Southampton from the airport, railway station or port. We may recommend or arrange a taxi transfer. Students planning to travel by train or coach should tell us in advance so that we can provide suitable guidance.

Homestay accommodation

Students under 18 staying in school-arranged accommodation are placed with approved homestay hosts. All hosts accommodating under-18s, and all adult members of their households, complete DBS (police) checks. The hosts also complete safeguarding training.

Students should tell us if they feel uncomfortable or need help with their accommodation or daily routine.

Curfew

Unless a different arrangement has been agreed in advance, students must return to their homestay by:

22.30 from Sunday to Thursday
23.00 on Friday and Saturday

If a student is going to be late or has a problem, they must contact their host immediately. The host will contact the school if the student does not return as expected.

Activities and age-related rules

Students under 18 can join many activities organised for Adult School students. However, some activities, venues or parts of the programme are restricted to people aged 18 or over. Students under 18 must follow all age-related instructions.

They must not buy or drink alcohol as part of school activities or arrangements
They must follow UK law and school rules relating to smoking and vaping
They must follow all rules relating to other age-restricted items

Emergency contact

We provide the school’s 24-hour emergency number in writing before arrival and again during the student’s stay. It is included on the booking confirmation, pre-arrival email and parental consent form where relevant. The number is also available on the school’s answerphone message. Students are reminded during induction when and how to use it.

Students should save the school’s emergency number on their phone
They should use it if they need urgent help outside normal school hours
In an immediate emergency, they should call 999

More information

For more information, please see the documents below.

Policy for Under-18s in the Adult School

Adult School Pre-Arrival Guide

All school policies

Questions about studying with us?

Please contact the Lewis School before booking or travelling if you would like to discuss welfare support, accommodation, travel, supervision or any other arrangements for a student under 18.